Hero

Publishers Weekly

It's the summer of 1957, and 14-year-old Jamie West is busy with farm chores at home, along the banks of Idaho's Payette River. Eager to finish the raft he's been building, he enlists the help of his older cousin Jerry. The boys try to keep their project a secret from Dennis Leeper, hangdog son of Arlie, the Wests' menacing, impoverished neighbor, but when the raft is finally launched, there are three of them aboard. The swift-flowing (and off-limits) central current of the river proves irresistible to daredevil Jerry, and events take a tragic turn. The story's strong vein of nostalgia and coming-of-age theme bring to mind Stephen King's Stand by Me, and although the leisurely pace at times borders on sluggish, Woods's descriptions can be eloquent: "For a long time, the thunder echoed out of the canyon above the sawmill, up where the river ran wild, a perfect partner with the storm." The first-time author also shows a sharp eye for character, from his thumbnail sketches to the broader narrative arc that traces Jamie's growth. Even if the momentum suffers as Jamie reckons with the consequences of the rafting disaster, his convincing development from feckless adolescence to responsible manhood testifies to this author's promise. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

KLIATT

Fourteen-year-old Jamie West lives on a 17-acre farm near the Payette River in Idaho. He loves summer and has about 18 days left to enjoy it. He and his cousin Jerry, 16, have been working on a raft—a project his mother and father are not keen about. When his dad asks him to include a neighbor boy, Dennis Leeper, in the project, Jamie and Jerry are aghast. Dennis is the target of all the bullies in town and Jamie is not thrilled to have him help. With the raft attached with a rope to the shore, the boys make several trips, getting farther and farther down the river. Suddenly the rope breaks and the boys are swept downriver toward the falls. Jerry falls off first and manages to swim to shore. Dennis and Jamie are thrown over the falls. Jamie is rescued, but Dennis drowns. When Dennis' father threatens harm to Jamie's family, Jamie makes a decision—a decision that makes Dennis a hero and him a liar. A fast-paced story with good characterization. Reluctant readers in high school will enjoy it as well as junior high readers. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2002, Random House, Dell Yearling, 215p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Barbara McKee

VOYA

Fourteen-year-old Jamie West and his cousin Jerry, nearly sixteen, are determined to make the most of their final weeks of summer vacation. Their enjoyment is marred by the presence of Dennis Leeper, an awkward outsider from a disliked family who hangs about pathetically hoping for acceptance. The boys, who live in a rural valley along the banks of Idaho's Payette River, construct a raft, planning to float along a calm section of the river close to shore and sheltered by a logjam. Despite some misgivings, Jamie's father allows the boys to proceed, with strict safety rules to prevent the raft's being swept into the perilous main current. Nevertheless, the raft strays into danger and tragedy ensues. A little more than halfway through the novel, the book resembles such survival stories as Gary Paulsen's Hatchet (Macmillan, 1986/VOYA February 1988) and The River (Doubleday, 1991/VOYA August 1991). The latter half of this strong debut novel, however, takes some surprising turns as survivors of the mishap and other members of the community are forced to reconsider comfortable assumptions. The title's meaning becomes clear as Jamie struggles with moral dilemmas in the aftermath of tragedy. A complex and equivocal kind of social heroism proves as valuable as the heroism of physical bravery. Although the story takes place in 1957, the rural setting is almost timeless. What begins as a tale of hazardous adventure evolves into a parable of social ethics, dramatizing the meaning of family and community, the harm caused by marginalization of unpopular residents, and the weighing of difficult choices when none are painless. A good choice for assigned reading, this novel is especially recommended forcollections serving small town and rural youth. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2002, Knopf, 192p,
— Walter Hogan

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-In the summer of '57 in rural Idaho, Jamie, 14, and his older cousin Jerry finish building a raft intended to provide fun and relaxation in the last days before school begins. Poor, unathletic, and motherless, Jamie's neighbor Dennis Leeper is challenged at every turn by merciless Jerry and taunted with the name "Denise." Doing his best to fit in, Dennis contributes a good idea for completing the raft and is begrudgingly accepted. Jamie's parents are wary of the project, warning the boys about the dangers of the fast-moving Payette River. Agreeing to stay within the log jam with a safety rope, the boys launch the raft but after a long day of swimming, they carelessly venture out further and are swept away by the current. Dennis drowns in the accident and his father angrily blames Jamie and his parents, threatening revenge. Jamie stands up at the funeral and tells everyone that Dennis was a hero who sacrificed his life to save him. Jamie's untruth is meant to protect his own family while giving respect to the Leepers. This is the real climax of the story and the consequences of Jamie's lie play out suspensefully in this page-turning drama. The author deftly handles a convincing adventure with emotional depth and tenderness toward his characters. There's lots of substance here, particularly for fans of Marion Dane Bauer's On My Honor (Clarion, 1986) or Eve Bunting's Blackwater (HarperCollins, 1999).-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

"It was dumb, and I'm sorry," Jamie West says after a near-disaster. He had tried to burn the weeds around his garden and, instead, almost burned the surrounding fields, hillside, and pigpen fence. Thus the author establishes the narrator's character in the first chapter. By the end, when Jamie says, "I had to wonder what kind of boy I'd become," we have seen a transformation in Jamie into a new boy even he doesn't recognize. He and his cousin Jerry build a raft on a river his parents worry about, and given the title, cover art, and foreshadowing in the story, readers know the river will be the agent of transformation in this stirring tale. Jamie's father tells the boys they are not to be Tom and Huck adventuring on the Mississippi. They must always be anchored to a rope and must never go floating off down the river. Since Jamie is not a strong swimmer and the river has two major dams downstream, the boys are not eager to disobey the father's admonitions. However, it's clear from the beginning, something will occur on that river. An accident does happen, tragedy strikes, and consequences result. The author mars an otherwise good story by the folksy voice he gives the narrator, who spouts one corny expression after another: "I was sure you could've hid Arlie's brain in a gnat's hind end with room to spare"; "I'd rather shampoo a porcupine." They don't ring true in the mouth of a 14-year-old boy, and they distract the reader. Curiously, the folksy voice is mostly dropped later in the story as the plot gets rolling. All in all, this is a good story with much excitement, a satisfying conclusion, and some moral weight. It ought to attract many readers, particularly the Gary Paulsen crowd.(Fiction. 10-14)